Tips on buying orchids

[frostedeyes]

I beleve many of you especially newbies including me have bought orchids and later after comming home we ended up getting dissappointed on what we bought. I want to share some points here for people like me on buying orchids. well exception to the rule when its really a bargain price!

1. Flower- size (bigger the better), Color, Structure of flower display(beautifully display as a whole). texture (thicker the better), number of sprays, pattern as well.

2. Leaves- should look healthy and growth is not faint and limp.
3. Roots- no sign of rot.
4. As a whole- choose a plant with new growths, more keikies the better, look for plant that grow in proportion, and also root bound on the pot- ull be having a hard time on caring them if its newly potted.

I also found out that orchids without flowers can also be identified especially on phals, - leaves showing shades of purple on the back and front means ull be expecting to have a purple flower in the future. So if u want a darker purple just look at the back on their leaves the darker the shade the more darker purple ull get. these are just some of my points i wanted to share. i hope some of the chid addicts here would add to my lists. lol!

[cb977]

Some great advice on choosing a healthy plant

I think it's important to take some other stuff into consideration...

What type of light does the plant prefer? Can you provide that light?

What temperatures does the plant need to grow and bloom? Can you do it?

What size will the plant be when fully grown? Also take into consideration, the length of the spike when it's going to bloom. If you have a tank, yes it might fit a small to medium sized plant but will it fit a 2 ft spike full of blooms?

Will you grow it mounted or potted? What kind of time do you have available to care for them? Mounted plants take more care because they need to be watered/misted more often than a potted plant.

Well, those are the questions I came up with...who else can contribute?

Great thread, frostedeyes!
These are the things folks need to know to make smart purchases

[frostedeyes]

yeah coz ive been there! ahahaha! i always get carried away on buying orchids dat ended up making me sigh! oh and always ask for sellers with regards to blooming period.. well for those demanding people like me who would always expect that there would be blooms everyday! hahahahaha! one time i told my friend dat i keep on cursing all my orchids and he told me not to coz they can hear me curse and they might get upset and wont bloom!

[frostedeyes]

is it true dat talking to plants can make better growth here in the philippines ive always told dat plants do feel with their owners and alot of plant enthusiast here do talk to their plants... weird! haha

[camille1585]

Another very important thing to check when buying a new orchid:
Does it appear to be pest/disease free? Are the other plants around it pest/disease free? Even if the plant you want appears healthy, if others around it have pest problems, chances are that one does too.

IMO, bringing home an orchid with a few bugs on it (like scale or mealies) is a disaster waiting to happen. Been there done that. Even after I quarantined/treated the plant the mealies still spread to everything else. Starting with a healthy plant is a very good idea!

Music and talking to cows makes them give more milk, but I don't think it will make plants grow/bloom better. But they do seem to respond to threats....

[cb977]

LOL...funny you should ask!

Our friend Laura gives her chids a stern lecture when they're not cooperating, wagging finger and all!

"You will either grow and/or bloom or you're going to be in trouble!!!"



It must work because her chids are always blooming like mad!

[priz_m]

Originally Posted by cb977

LOL...funny you should ask!

Our friend Laura gives her chids a stern lecture when they're not cooperating, wagging finger and all!

"You will either grow and/or bloom or you're going to be in trouble!!!"



It must work because her chids are always blooming like mad!

I cannot believe this, ok then though love for mine then....

[cb977]

Originally Posted by priz_m

I cannot believe this, ok then though love for mine then....

It works!

For the past few months, I was inspecting my B cordata for signs of spikes/growth/anything! Each time Laura came by, we'd both give it a once-over and would find nothing

Then, Laura came over one day and I left her alone in the orchid room. About a week later, I spotted the first of two spikes on the B cordata! When I told her about it, she told me she had given Miss Cordata a talking-to and voila! magic!

[WhiteRabbit]

Originally Posted by cb977

It works!

For the past few months, I was inspecting my B cordata for signs of spikes/growth/anything! Each time Laura came by, we'd both give it a once-over and would find nothing

Then, Laura came over one day and I left her alone in the orchid room. About a week later, I spotted the first of two spikes on the B cordata! When I told her about it, she told me she had given Miss Cordata a talking-to and voila! magic!

can she come to cal and lecture some of my plants???

[lostonthebeach]

Originally Posted by cb977

It works!

For the past few months, I was inspecting my B cordata for signs of spikes/growth/anything! Each time Laura came by, we'd both give it a once-over and would find nothing

Then, Laura came over one day and I left her alone in the orchid room. About a week later, I spotted the first of two spikes on the B cordata! When I told her about it, she told me she had given Miss Cordata a talking-to and voila! magic!

She needs to produce an instructional and/or motivational tape for the rest of us.